Go see a boycotted movie


Author Chas. Clifton points out that voting with dollars for a boycotted movie is a good defense for free speech. Maybe I need to go see The DaVinci Code after all. It's got to be better than Superman Returns.
Chas. Clifton describes going to see The DaVinci Code as an act of resistance.

It is rated PG, which could just as well stand for "Partially or Predominately or Pretty Gnostic." Given that two newer films, The Devil Wears Prada and A Prairie Home Companion had opened in Colorado Springs, site of our delayed anniversary Day in the City, I was surprised that M. voted for Da Vinci. But she argued that it would be the best to see on the big screen (the "Euro porn" factor—old buildings, cityscapes, conspiracies) and, of course, we would be voting with our ticket dollars against those who called for a boycott.

Afterwards, eating at Shuga's on South Cascade Avenue, we decided that this was one case where the movie was better than the book. For me, the book just went “in one eye and out the other.” Having read Holy Blood, Holy Grail back when it was published, I knew the whole Priory of Sion story, and not much about Dan Brown’s novel, other than perhaps the initial murder of the curator in the Louvre, stayed with me.

I hadn't really thought about seeing a movie as defending free speech, at least not in this context. It makes sense though, especially in this day when Congress just increased the penalty for on-air "obscenity" ten-fold.

I read Holy Blood, Holy Grail a few years back too. I even used it a few times in my "discussions" with certain fundy types who were convinced that the world and all it's people had to follow the dictates of their belief. I don't really care what people believe until they start interfering with the beliefs or actions of other people. Then they are fair game and all bets are off.
(insert maniacal laugh here)

Something like the old "read a banned book" campaign maybe. Go see a boycotted movie. Who knows, you may learn something.

And before someone tries to use this as a justification to go after "those EEEEEEVVVVIIIILLL conservatives," I'd remind you that modern liberals and progressives have their own speech codes. In fact, the entire concept of "politically correct" was invented by progressives.

— NeoWayland

Posted: Mon - July 10, 2006 at 04:26 AM  Tag


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